Day Trippin' › Florida › From Miami › J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
The drive from Miami to J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge takes about 2 hr 46 min (west of Miami), by real roads from ZIP 33130. Along the way we found 46 stops within a short detour: 10 coffee shops, 5 bakeries, 11 ice cream and treats and 16 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Miami) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Mathisen, Jim (USFWS), Public domain
Wildlife
Drive, bike or walk a four-mile loop on Sanibel past roseate spoonbills, pelicans and wading birds.
Heads-up: Visitor center 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Fridays and federal holidays. Best at low tide. Sanibel causeway has a toll.
First third Middle third Last third J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
About 2 hr 46 min by road, heading west from the middle of ZIP 33130. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Breadman Miami (Hialeah Gardens), Frostys lab (Palm Springs North), Vicky’s Bakery (Miami Lakes), Perfect Fit Cuisine (Hialeah) and Sano Food (Pennsuco). The page lists 27 in all, in driving order.
Breadman Miami in Hialeah Gardens, Vicky’s Bakery in Miami Lakes, Vicky Bakery in Pembroke Pines and Cubico Coffee in Davie. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Perfect Fit Cuisine in Hialeah, Sano Food in Pennsuco, Raw Juice in Weston and Banchero Express Weston in Weston.
Round1 in Pembroke Pines, Railroad Museum of South Florida in Fort Myers, Castle Golf in Forest Island Park and Smugglers Cove - adventure golf in Indian Creek .
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.